Lens module carrier device with cleaning member

ABSTRACT

Provided is a lens module carrier device for carrying a plurality of lens modules. The lens module carrier device includes a lens tray and a cleaning member. The lens tray includes a supporting surface. The supporting surface defines a number of receiving holes for receiving the plurality of lens modules. The cleaning member is received in one of the receiving holes for cleaning a glue needle.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to lens module carrier devicesand, particularly, to a lens module carrier device having a cleaningmember for cleaning glue needle.

2. Description of Related Art

Lens modules are key members of a camera. A typical lens module includesa lens barrel with a plurality of lenses and a plurality of spacersreceived in the lens barrel. In order to obtain a good quality image, anaperture plate is employed and is positioned on one of the spacers andheld by the lens barrel. In assembly, the circular circumferentialsurface of the spacer needs to be coated with glue using with a glueneedle to glue the aperture plate onto the corresponding spacer and intothe lens barrel.

However, glue residue may easily remain on the glue needle after gluinga plurality aperture plates, thereby causing dust to stick on the glueneedle due to the glue residue. This carries the risk of the glue needlebeing contaminated. Thereby, this will affect quality image of the lensmodule when the contaminated glue needle continues to glue otheraperture plates.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a lens module carrier device thatcan overcome the above-mentioned limitations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood withreference to the following drawing. The components in the drawing arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure.

The figure is an assembled, isometric view of a lens module carrierdevice together with a glue needle, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The figure illustrates a lens module carrier device 100 for carrying anumber of lens modules 200. The lens module carrier device 100 includesa lens tray 10 and a cleaning member 20 positioned on the lens tray 10.The cleaning member 20 is configured for cleaning a glue needle 300.

The lens tray 10 includes a supporting surface 11. In the embodiment,the supporting surface 11 is substantially rectangular in shape. Thesupporting surface 11 defines a number of receiving holes 30 forreceiving the number of lens modules 200. In the embodiment, the numberof receiving holes 30 are arranged in a 3×3 matrix and equidistantlyarranged on the supporting surface 11. The number of receiving holes 30have essentially identical depth and have essentially identical internaldiameter. The internal diameter of each of the receiving holes 30 isequal to or slightly bigger than the external diameter of the lensmodule 200.

The cleaning member 20 is received in the receiving hole 30 that ispositioned on an upper right corner of the supporting surface 11. In theembodiment, the cleaning member 20 is a sponge absorbed in alcohol. Itshould be noted that, in an alternative embodiment, the cleaning member20 also could be a cotton ball absorbed in alcohol or only a dry cottonball; the cleaning member 20 also can be received in another receivinghole 30.

A ring-shaped flange 110 perpendicularly extends upward from thesupporting surface 11. The ring-shaped flange 110 covers and aligns withthe receiving hole 30 receiving the cleaning member 20. The internaldiameter of the ring-shaped flange 110 is substantially equal to theinternal diameter of the receiving hole 30. In the embodiment, thering-shaped flange 110 is integrally formed with the lens tray 10.Alternately, the ring-shaped flange 110 and the lens tray 10 can beseparately formed. The ring-shaped flange 110 can be attached to thesupporting surface 11 by adhesive, welding (e.g., plastic welding), orother attaching methods. The ring-shaped flange 110 is capable ofpreventing the alcohol of the cleaning member 20 from flowing out of thereceiving hole 30.

Unlike a conventional lens module carrier device, the cleaning member 20of the lens module carrier device 100 of the present embodiment isreceived in the receiving hole 30 of the lens tray 10. When assemblingthe lens module 200, the glue needle 300 can be cleaned by the cleaningmember 20 to prevent the glue needle 300 from being contaminated by aglue residue remaining on the glue needle 300.

It will be understood that the above particular embodiments are shownand described by way of illustration only. The principles and thefeatures of the present disclosure may be employed in various andnumerous embodiments thereof without departing from the scope of thedisclosure as claimed. The above-described embodiments illustrate thescope of the disclosure but do not restrict the scope of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lens module carrier device for carrying aplurality of lens modules, the lens module carrier device comprising: alens tray comprising a supporting surface defines a plurality ofreceiving holes for receiving the plurality of lens modules; and acleaning member received in one of the receiving holes for cleaning aglue needle.
 2. The lens module carrier device of claim 1, wherein thesupporting surface is substantially rectangular in shape, the pluralityof receiving holes are arranged in a matrix and equidistantly arrangedon the supporting surface.
 3. The lens module carrier device of claim 2,wherein the plurality of receiving holes are arranged in a 3×3 matrix.4. The lens module carrier device of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofreceiving holes have an essentially identical depth and have anessentially identical internal diameter.
 5. The lens module carrierdevice of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is received in thereceiving hole that is positioned on a corner of the supporting surface.6. The lens module carrier device of claim 1, wherein the cleaningmember is a sponge absorbed in alcohol.
 7. The lens module carrierdevice of claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is a cotton ball absorbedin alcohol.
 8. The lens module carrier device of claim 1, wherein thecleaning member is a dry cotton ball.
 9. The lens module carrier deviceof claim 1, wherein the lens tray comprises a ring-shaped flangeperpendicularly extending upward from the supporting surface, and thering-shaped flange covers and aligns with the receiving hole receivingthe cleaning member.
 10. The lens module carrier device of claim 9,wherein an internal diameter of the ring-shaped flange is substantiallyequal to the internal diameter of the receiving hole receiving thecleaning member.
 11. The lens module carrier device of claim 9, whereinthe ring-shaped flange is integrally formed with the lens tray.
 12. Thelens module carrier device of claim 9, wherein the ring-shaped flangeand the lens tray are separately formed, and the ring-shaped flange isattached to the supporting surface.